Was a big fan of T. Rex back in the 70s. Electric Warrior, Slider and Tanx all great albums! Wore them all out l played them so much. Too bad they didn't see nearly the success in the U.S. that they did in the UK. They did very well here in Canada as well. Great melodic catchy songwriter and unique vocal and those classic backing vocals from Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman Good stuff! Sad the way he was tragically taken from us. Thanks for a great review!😎🎼🎶🎵🎵
Marc was a true rockstar, he owned every word, every note and every stage-move like if he was born with it! Still think Ballrooms of Mars is one of the most beautiful love-songs ever written, right up there with Thank You by Zeppelin, ect... Also, FIl, I love how you get so much into the artists career and history, and not just the technicality of the performance alone! Keep your groove on! Cheers!
Fil - a bit of trivia (dubious claim to fame) - when Bolan died, he was brought into Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton. I was a little kid at the time, but I was in the hospital, and a nurse broke the news to us at breakfast, before it was even announced on the radio. 😭
Late to the party .... I enjoy your analysis! Just discovered T.Rex & Marc Bolan!! Watching the 2020 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame where T.Rex was inducted. I knew the song “Bang A Gong Get It On” ..... but Marc Bolan!! Wowzers!!
Everyone talks about David Bowie (who I love) and his versatility, but if you listen to all of Marc’s albums starting at the very beginning NO ONE has ever produced so many different kinds of songs as Marc did. He was extraordinarily talented and brilliant. Some day, he will be recognized as the poetical genius that he was.
It sounded good to me and why pick on one detail. Why not focus on all the things he did brilliantly and uniquely. Nobody’s perfect. He probably had a pimple on his ass, too. Who cares. NO ONE wrote poetical lyrics like he did in his early albums. NO ONE.
Bolan is a sheer entertainment God. He's good, writes good, then sets it all aside on automatic and pours himself out onto the stage like gravy on mashed potatoes. Mistakes don't matter. They are like interesting lumps in the gravy. His entertainment value is the left handed variety.
American fan of T.Rex here. So glad to see you finally commenting on the great Marc Bolan. This was certainly not his best live performance. But in between Marc's aucoustic phase and the glam years, he did some truly amazing live performances of his songs Elemental Child, Jewel, and By the Light of a Magical Moon. All are here on TH-cam.
Bolan exuded Rock ‘N Roll attitude and swagger, amazing showmanship. Songwriting skills and musicianship to match, truly one of a kind! Thanks for this one! 🤟😎
Just listened to Ride A White Swan recently on TH-cam. I loved it. I love the way it was that rough T Rex sound with his soft heartbreaking voice. Reminded me a bit of gram parsons.
I've always loved this song. This performance would have been so much better if the back up singers could have been turned down (or off), but I'm sure it happens to all performers sometime. Thanks for all the back up info as always.
I mentioned The Hyena's also but did not scroll any comments to copy that, honest, first thought, i had! That performance could have done without those 2, and their tambourines.., So, i'm agreed...
His guitar solos on his records may not have been very difficult/complex but they SOUND so COOL! One of my favorite guitar solos of all time is the simple little solo he plays on Mambo Sun.
His guitar soling was original. Many people find it difficult to nail them as they are unique and not played conventionally. Marc played many solos ending on a minor in a major chord. A much cleverer guitarist than he is given credit for.
@@TRextasyOfficial Yes, unique, original & unconventional. I've been trying to learn the Mambo Sun solo but I can't quite get the bends down. The way he plays it sounds so smooth and effortless...
@@Foldisfitch Marc did various attempts at overdubbing guitar solos. The original guitar solo on Mambo Sun was actually played through a wah-pedal and only later did Marc wipe it for what you hear on the album. He did also have a unique vibrato technique.
@@TRextasyOfficial I'd like to hear that through the wah-pedal...if it sounded anything like Monolith's solo through the wah it was probably pretty great.
Marc Bolan is #1 in my book 100%, what a performer, songwriter in every way. Everything he touched was pure genius. Fil, excellent analyses. Thank you for all of the work that you do.
@@christiangasior4244 2 good albums is quite an acheivement really. I do agree that a fair amount of his album material is pretty poor though. He shone very brightly for a couple of years and fizzled out.
@@karlsinclair9918 Marc never fizzled out......he was always current. The fact that public tastes changed means nothing. Marc was a workaholic as all those that worked with him would testify. He had more than 2 good albums!
@@delflord yes you're right, taste is subjective. Generally a band or artist can tend to repeat themselves. For me, Marc had 2 good albums. He never stopped working at his craft thoughand that's a good thing.
Hi Fil , long time no see, lol. Had to watch this tonight, I’ve developed a real interest in Marc Bolan lately, a bit before my time , my having been born in ‘61, but I happened upon his music one day and began following his short but explosive career, mostly successful in the UK if I’ve got it right. My favorites are Metal Guru, and as always seems to be with my tastes , his less popular songs. Thank you for this timely analysis.
The same year as You Better You Bet , BA Robertson released Kool In The Kaftan ,with the lyrics "Fee Fi Fiddly Doo, I'm Your Mantra ,Metal Guru" and "Hey man , don't you stop and pray man , Go out and buy T.Rex " 😉👍
My first introduction to T Rex was the Billy Elliott movie. Since then I learned everything about Marc's rise and fall and rise again. Then his tragic death. He was definitely an influence on all who came after him. Thanks, Fil. I don't know why I just came across this. The upside to being isolated is that I can catch up on all of your videos.
Thanks for the back ground hun. I LOVE T-Rex and Marc Bolan was So sexy and talented, He reminds me of Jim Morrision. Same sort of charisma. This band has stood the test of time. I have lost count of the times I have heard their tracks used for movies. "Get It On " in particular. /the 60's and 70's saw an explosion of talent and different style emerging. We had Bon Scott, Suzi Quatro,, disco, it was ALL happening. I was so blessed to be young g during this time in Music History. Thank you for reacting to our music and thank you to the young ones who love it.
Thank you so mucht for the objective assessment ofMarc's magnificent musical abilities. These have long been denied by the rock world. But he was a fantastic guitarist and a brilliant songwriter. It Is such a pity that we can't hear any more songs from him. He would certainly have written many more hits. His last album 'Dandy in the Underworld' showed once again what a fantastic sound he could create.
Hello, from Arizona! Wonderful analysis, Fil! I really enjoyed listening, and then reading the comments thread. I've become fascinated with Marc Bolan, the history of his music, and of T. Rex. I've recently been able to acquire some original pressings of a few of their albums. Vinyl sounds SO much better. Fil, through your video, I've learned a few new things about Marc.This performance was over the top, as for staging, and for being improperly mixed, but I think the main goal was to really impress the American audience, watching the sbow, that night, and I read that the performance time slot, was exceeded by a couple minutes, thus a band slated to perform after them, weren't able to do their song. All in all, listening to T. Rex albums, gives each of us, an AMAZING look, into the past. Thanks for ALL of your awesome videos!
Fil, thank you for your excellent review and analysis of this performance by Marc and T.Rex . You add another dimension of appreciation to this song and the man , Marc Bolan. Keep up the good work.
Saw T. rex at Fillmore East 71’. Great band. He had that place in the palm of his hand. And that was a tough crowd. All the record company suits were there. He blew everyone away.
Great analysis again Fil, Marc was my first real introduction to rock, The Perfumed Grden of Gulliver Smith" was a great Johns Children track. I Loved Lofty Skies from Marc - hey - they come along now and again, the UNIQUE ! THANKS FIL - YOUR A GENIUS !!!
T.Rex was epitome of Glam. Everyone else, even Bowie, didn't get it right like Marc Bolan. T.Rex did a tour opening for Uriah Heep and it was one of the biggest at the time, even out selling Led Zeppelin. Live T.Rex was one of the most energetic bands around. 'The Slider' is T.Rex's best album and everyone should give it a listen.
@@brayancruz5866 I've got EW ...But I'll give The Slider a go. (Have you done "Acoustic Warrior"..?. worth a listen if only for the spoken words of Marc Bolanand his views of the times....)
@@brayancruz5866 'Electric Warrior' is a great album also, if only for 'Mambo Sun', but I like the way 'The Slider' has a little darkness to it and has a dirtier sound, even with 'Metal Guru'. But isn't that the joy of music? That we can all like and dislike things on a personal level without being wrong? BTW If you haven't heard it yet, give 'Tanx' a listen...
Marc is my second favorite guitarist after my cousin Chuck Berry who I grew up with in St.Louis. Chuck Berry's mother Mrs.Martha Banks Berry was my babysitter❤
Marc was a one off. His songs, voice, lyrics, guitar playing and whole demeanour was so unique, idiosyncratic and charismatic. He was special and other-worldly. Childlike and lovable. I was 11 in 1971 and absolutely loved Ride a White Swan so I went to my local record shop in Finchley to buy it but they were sold out and just had the album called "T.Rex" So I bought that and rushed home to play it. I was blown away. I'd never heard anything like it in my life. (btw I knew Peter Sanders who took that iconic photo on the T. Rex album. He later became a Muslim along with his friend Martin Thomson - now Ahmad Thomson.) I went on to buy every single and every album Marc ever made (including the wonderful Tyrannosaurus Rex albums) right up to his death. I wanted to see him live and begged my dad to buy me tickets. Unfortunately my brother wanted to see Slade and he begged dad too. My dad eventually bought the Slade tickets and we all went to watch them at Earl's Court, to my utter disappointment, (although they were good, but they weren't Marc!! lol) I did eventually see Marc during the Dandy in the Underworld tour (supported by the Damned) in Manchester where I was studying at the time - I think it was the Electric Circus or some name like that, I forget. He was wonderful. Little did I know he would tragically die not long after that.
Had NO idea that Marc Bolan and Helen Shapiro were in a band in their extreme youth. Helen's voice was wonderful and wonder if any of that collab survive? Marc Bolan's stuff got me through my junior and senior years in high school. Fil, you have remarkable anecdotes of Bolan's early life. Much appreciated.
Love this! I feel like I'm 15 years old again and in Junior High school. Glam rock ruled. I loved T-Rex, Bowie, and Mott The Hoople so much. And my dad hating it made me love it even more... 🤘
@@pantslessgrandpamusic You posted this a week ago? Bowie died....January 2016. Still, I guess the news is kinda slow out there in the swamp, huh? Rather like your brain.
Nice to hear someone that reels off so much correct information about Marc, as time and time again, I read and hear so much crap and false info - so well done. Cheers!
On the studio version they are Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman aka Flo & Eddie aka Phlorescent Leech & Eddie. The backing vocals are quite distinctive on studio version as well but not like this.
I just recently discovered your channel and I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do. So far I love your incredibly in depth analysis. I thought I would chime in on this one. I wasn't familiar with T Rex until I saw them open for Three Dog Night on Aug 17, 1973, 46 years to the day of your post. It's highly likely I saw this very same lineup perform. Making the show memorial was Bolan destroying his guitar and blowing up an amp to cap off the performance.
Marc seemed like an enigma and we never got to know him properly through his music. Had he lived longer, he would have progressed past the glam stage and diversified.
Agreed...but not on vinyl, only on CD...but I'll survive I guess. (Maybe in the loft...it's there on cassette...Does that count? I'm not going up there though....there's them Spiders... from Mars.)
Love Marc . In the 80s people used to call me ' the girl who looks like Marc Bolan. I love him because of his free , wild spirit and vision . I mean , geez , those times . Amazing stuff came out of them . I am so grateful for it . So nourished by it . Turned on by it . Musically excited and informed by it . Whacko .shmacko. 60s 70s . It's like the age of enlightenment, or the romantic poets. Keats , Byron , Shelley, Wordsworth. Times when a creative movement just bit , and bit deep . The big stone hurled into the lake that made forever ripples.Ebbing out over decades. 🦕
Great early glam rock!! He influenced so many for so long!!! Great performance! Fantastic energy!! You gotta do a V.A. On the MC5 check out theTardar Field show Detroit 1970!!!
Paul Stanley watching this in 1973: I got a star on my face and a guitar at my waste, I'm gonna do every move Marc Bolan makes for over the next five decades.
I loved T Rex as a teenager - so many great songs! Loved Glam Rock which also included The Sweet, Slade and one of the many incarnations of my all-time favourite band... QUEEN! It's amazing how young artists were when they started back in the day.
I certainly agree about Gloria, she drowned out Mark and the band with her overzealous vocal and tambourine. Huge Marc Bolan fan. Love his influence from Eddie Cochrane in the way he leans back with the guitar from the mic and moves his feet around. I'd like to see a commentary on Summertime Blues.
Gloria was just singing her part, it's really up to the sound engineer to get the mixs right. In a live situation (such as this) I would actually not bring her down in the mix I'd take Marc's vox and guitar up!
Marc's use of the short neck Les Paul Gibson gave a particular tone for his writing, you could not imagine Marc with a Telecaster or a Strat or a Grech !
Midnight Special with his girlfriend Gloria Jones, mother of Roland Bolan. This is the worst performance of this song. Look elsewhere for a better performance. He just never really made it here in America.
They used to play "Get it On" quite a bit; the DJs probably liked the line about the girl being dirty. Not so much songs with gentlemanly lyrics like "I don't mean to be bold but may I hold your hand?". Not in dirty America.
I always felt that the days when it was just Marc, Micky Finn, Steve Currie and Bill Legend the band was at its best. Marc was just getting his sea legs in to performing to this caliber and he always had the determination that he was going to be a star. Well he made it !!
Thanks for reviewing T Rex! Marc was an underrated guitar player. His playing on the Slider is fantastic and he even worked as a session guitarist in California for a bit. Taken from us too soon!
Hi, FIL, Mark Bolan performance reminds me of Prince,. Mark could really play his guitar, and he hard great showmanship. The Band members played extremely well, even though the backup singer Grace, was over the top, they all played so well, you could ignore any adlib, and still enjoy the Music, live performances. May he Rest in Paradise.❤👑
I’m not an expert on guitar or any other technical aspect of this particular song, I just like listening to a variety of music and I really enjoyed this video. In fact I liked it more so than the studio track, which whilst having a great groove, sounded to me somewhat perfunctory and one dimensional. To my mind his performance was dynamic, exciting, catchy and showed off Marc’s incredible guitar work, vocal qualities and of course his quintessential glam-rock stage presence. I get what people say on here about the ‘tambourine overload’, but to my mind what let the performance down far more was the exaggerated, ear-drum shattering screeching and screaming of the backing singers when stretching out the last note of every chorus. Presumably Marc told them to sing like that but I just think that it was totally unnecessary. I was 13 at the time that this song came out, and I remember how later-on, when the ‘Glam-Rock’ period was in full swing, that people said it was all about optics and performance rather than musical quality. However, the incredibly talented Marc Bolan proved that Glam-rockers could sing and play as well as anyone.
Fun clip, outta control. I'm thinking you should dig into the Sweet now that you are in the glam neighborhood. Ballroom Blitz, Little Willy, Love is Like Oxygen. Always a pleasure. God bless
The girlfriend you're talking about here is also the girl who was driving the Mini that killed him. But the accident was totally unforeseeable. I made the exact same mistake myself just a couple of years later. The road which originally started out as a horse-drawn cart track, was the perfect short-cut across Barnes Common. Sometime in the early 19th century they added a railway bridge and paved the road. Although it was still about the width of the cart track with just enough room for two cars to pass. The thing was, the railway bridge was very steep and as you were driving up it, you couldn't see the road ahead. It was a blind crest. What you didn't know was that at the brow of the bridge, the road suddenly veered to the right, which was totally unforeseen as you approached the brow. As the climb up the bridge was so steep, it encouraged you to step on the gas, so by the time you reached the top to begin your decent, the road had veered off to the right but you were still steering straight ahead. Mini's had a habit of taking off at the crest and were airborne with all four wheels off the ground. So you had no steering or brakes, because you were airborne. I was lucky, the Mini I was driving landed before it veered off the road so I was able to steer it back onto the road. Gloria Jones wasn't as fortunate. She was obviously going a little faster than I was, and when her Mini took off at the brow, it carried straight on into a tree, killing Marc in the process. Over the years the tree was hit so many times it did eventually die of its wounds. Also about 10 years ago, the bridge was removed altogether and replaced with one, which although looks identical, is much safer as the road on the other side is now straight-on where it should be. There is still a shrine to Marc by the bridge and every year, even now is visited by hundreds of fans.
Good observation Chris! Also take into the fact that the crash happened when it was still dark, around 5 am. I personally think Gloria and Marc were each a bit under the influence, but most any one could have been victim to the same obstructions Gloria had that fateful night.
Thank you for explaining how the accident may have happened, from your experience. I can confirm that thing Minis did, taking off on hump-back bridges, because when we were kids we would beg my father to do it, and he would oblige, when it was safe to do so, speeding up on the way up the hill to get the airborne/ leave your stomach behind effect over the crest.
@@alanna8983 Like you said 5am booze what else to say ? personally i think we should stop blaming the road,i'm one of marc's biggest fans,just drink driving then who cared ,just saying
FYI About the Mini cooper: The Mini Cooper that Marc died in belonged to the Pink Floyd Management Company (Steve O'Rourke) and the Mini's that were owned by Steve, David and Nick being well known for being "Beefed up" and a lot faster than a normal Mini.
Yes . No one is allowed to talk about Gary Glitter anymore . But , if we're talking 70's and glam ??? I was there . A kid in the Midlands. Glue and coloured glitter on me face . Glam meant Gary Glitter. The Sweet . You can't fricking air brush him out !!!!!!!!!!!! The sound of Gary Glitter was the effing the backdrop of my childhood and early puberty .
It’s still true to the vibe of the original studio recording. I agree the backing singers have got a bad case of the Whitney Houston’s/Mariah Careys where you show off your entire vocal range and power in 5 seconds and hit your top end. Maybe also down to too much cocaine.
Well, everybody has said it all about the backup singers. It is a great performance, but they sound terrible. Fil is so learned, he picked up that one of the tambourines was miked too high.
I am a huge Bowie fan & he was the reason that I started listening to Mark. This video is great but I would definitely think it was perfect without that background singers. Too loud! Great analysis as always Fil.
Wow! One of my most favoritest songs, ever! From that opening riff to the lyrics: "You're built like a car, you've got that hub cap, diamond-star halo. You're built like a car, oh yeah!" & "You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl." Fantastic! I wonder how much Peter Gabriel borrowed from Marc...Thanks for this!
Glam Rock's beginnings...I love another video of this song that has Elton John on keys without those screeching women. Lol Bang a Gong! (P.S. I had a big crush on Bill legend their drummer.)
@@alanna8983 I think he actually just wanted to break America. Look at how many black singers are on midnight special he thought it was a good idea...and then she got pregnant, and June said thats enough rope boy.
Oh WOW Fil, so cool of you to spotlight Marc/T.Rex after my recent request. Tanx. That's Sister Pat Hall on 2nd backup vocals. Who was the studio rhythm guitarist hired here?
Marc was so far ahead of his time. His music left its foot prints all over the music of it's time.
I love this performance. It’s so raw and primal, on the verge of breaking down but still holds together.
Marc was a genius of a songwriter, his huge catalogue of songs, written in only ten years is incredible.
What a Voice! Loved this show. Thanks
Was a big fan of T. Rex back in the 70s. Electric Warrior, Slider and Tanx all great albums! Wore them all out l played them so much. Too bad they didn't see nearly the success in the U.S. that they did in the UK. They did very well here in Canada as well. Great melodic catchy songwriter and unique vocal and those classic backing vocals from Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman Good stuff! Sad the way he was tragically taken from us. Thanks for a great review!😎🎼🎶🎵🎵
Bolan keeps popping up on my phone, so I was delighted to find this. Many thanks, Fil.
Thanks Fil for analyzing the best song in the world so far.
Marc was a true rockstar, he owned every word, every note and every stage-move like if he was born with it! Still think Ballrooms of Mars is one of the most beautiful love-songs ever written, right up there with Thank You by Zeppelin, ect... Also, FIl, I love how you get so much into the artists career and history, and not just the technicality of the performance alone!
Keep your groove on! Cheers!
Fil - a bit of trivia (dubious claim to fame) - when Bolan died, he was brought into Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton. I was a little kid at the time, but I was in the hospital, and a nurse broke the news to us at breakfast, before it was even announced on the radio. 😭
Late to the party .... I enjoy your analysis! Just discovered T.Rex & Marc Bolan!!
Watching the 2020 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame where T.Rex was inducted. I knew the song “Bang A Gong Get It On” ..... but Marc Bolan!! Wowzers!!
Everyone talks about David Bowie (who I love) and his versatility, but if you listen to all of Marc’s albums starting at the very beginning NO ONE has ever produced so many different kinds of songs as Marc did. He was extraordinarily talented and brilliant. Some day, he will be recognized as the poetical genius that he was.
Laurie Janes his guitar playing was quite poor to be honest.
It sounded good to me and why pick on one detail. Why not focus on all the things he did brilliantly and uniquely. Nobody’s perfect. He probably had a pimple on his ass, too. Who cares. NO ONE wrote poetical lyrics like he did in his early albums. NO ONE.
Skonny Hewson In case you can’t tell, I’m a tad touchy today.
@@MrSkonny, give this one a listen. You might just change your mind on that.
th-cam.com/video/bl_3QtIniTE/w-d-xo.html
@@MrSkonny, This one is a really great example of Marc Bolan's guitar work.
th-cam.com/video/18hySH8pW3M/w-d-xo.html
Bolan is a sheer entertainment God. He's good, writes good, then sets it all aside on automatic and pours himself out onto the stage like gravy on mashed potatoes. Mistakes don't matter. They are like interesting lumps in the gravy. His entertainment value is the left handed variety.
Nice comment Doug.... I can relate to the gravy (Mine.) Cheers.
American fan of T.Rex here. So glad to see you finally commenting on the great Marc Bolan. This was certainly not his best live performance. But in between Marc's aucoustic phase and the glam years, he did some truly amazing live performances of his songs Elemental Child, Jewel, and By the Light of a Magical Moon. All are here on TH-cam.
nukem, you certainly got that right!! This version of Jewel knocks it out of the park.
th-cam.com/video/18hySH8pW3M/w-d-xo.html
Bolan exuded Rock ‘N Roll attitude and swagger, amazing showmanship. Songwriting skills and musicianship to match, truly one of a kind! Thanks for this one! 🤟😎
Just listened to Ride A White Swan recently on TH-cam. I loved it. I love the way it was that rough T Rex sound with his soft heartbreaking voice. Reminded me a bit of gram parsons.
I've always loved this song. This performance would have been so much better if the back up singers could have been turned down (or off), but I'm sure it happens to all performers sometime. Thanks for all the back up info as always.
Awesome review. TRex has been a favorie of mine for years. All the best from Canada.
T Rex is good.
The back up singers just alerted all hyenas that its mating time
LOL hahaha, you really got me with that observation, brilliant and accurate
I mentioned The Hyena's also but did not scroll any comments to copy that, honest, first thought, i had! That performance could have done without those 2, and their tambourines.., So, i'm agreed...
Too funny! Hyenas and Yoko Ono!
Ha!
hehehe
Thank you 🙏 TRex fan since the early 70’s ....Keep up the Great Work 🎶 👍👍
Such a huge STAR. Taken from us far too soon.
I think the smile on your face says it all..🤗👍💙. His early death is so tragically sad😭
His guitar solos on his records may not have been very difficult/complex but they SOUND so COOL! One of my favorite guitar solos of all time is the simple little solo he plays on Mambo Sun.
His guitar soling was original. Many people find it difficult to nail them as they are unique and not played conventionally. Marc played many solos ending on a minor in a major chord. A much cleverer guitarist than he is given credit for.
@@TRextasyOfficial Yes, unique, original & unconventional.
I've been trying to learn the Mambo Sun solo but I can't quite get the bends down. The way he plays it sounds so smooth and effortless...
@@Foldisfitch Marc did various attempts at overdubbing guitar solos. The original guitar solo on Mambo Sun was actually played through a wah-pedal and only later did Marc wipe it for what you hear on the album. He did also have a unique vibrato technique.
@@TRextasyOfficial I'd like to hear that through the wah-pedal...if it sounded anything like Monolith's solo through the wah it was probably pretty great.
I like, no i looove the overdubbed solo on "Ballrooms of Mars" with the wonderful Les Paul tone.
Great review of a fabulous artist, thanks
Marc Bolan is #1 in my book 100%, what a performer, songwriter in every way. Everything he touched was pure genius. Fil, excellent analyses. Thank you for all of the work that you do.
He had like 2 good albums. I think you just still have a crush on him.
@@christiangasior4244 Not really, just trying to be positive.😎
@@christiangasior4244 2 good albums is quite an acheivement really. I do agree that a fair amount of his album material is pretty poor though. He shone very brightly for a couple of years and fizzled out.
@@karlsinclair9918 Marc never fizzled out......he was always current. The fact that public tastes changed means nothing. Marc was a workaholic as all those that worked with him would testify. He had more than 2 good albums!
@@delflord yes you're right, taste is subjective. Generally a band or artist can tend to repeat themselves. For me, Marc had 2 good albums. He never stopped working at his craft thoughand that's a good thing.
Hi Fil , long time no see, lol. Had to watch this tonight, I’ve developed a real interest in Marc Bolan lately, a bit before my time , my having been born in ‘61, but I happened upon his music one day and began following his short but explosive career, mostly successful in the UK if I’ve got it right. My favorites are Metal Guru, and as always seems to be with my tastes , his less popular songs. Thank you for this timely analysis.
A cape increases the rock quotient by 204%
*Rick Wakeman has entered the chat*
The Wakefield cape or the Superman cape or the glamorous cape...get your groove on and bang a gong
*glam
🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘
Let us not forget that Elvis Himselvis often sported a cape in later years on stage and off. I’d say 204% is an accurate number on a cape.
Huge influence in rock. Even Pete Townshend 'the sound of old TRex' was an admirer of the sound.
" You Better, You Bet" !
The same year as You Better You Bet , BA Robertson released Kool In The Kaftan ,with the lyrics "Fee Fi Fiddly Doo, I'm Your Mantra ,Metal Guru" and "Hey man , don't you stop and pray man , Go out and buy T.Rex " 😉👍
"I've heard Pete and I've seen Pete and I've played with Pete and I know I'm as good as Pete."
- Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan kicked off the 70s post-Beatles, Marc was the King! Everyone else followed. Great review TKU
I like that. Marc Bolan started the 70s.
@@martinpepperell8424 That struck me also. Marc Bolan kicked off the 70s post-Beatles. Excellent!
always loved this song never seen this. the women give an awesome edge !!! remember this on the radio when radio was king
My first introduction to T Rex was the Billy Elliott movie. Since then I learned everything about Marc's rise and fall and rise again. Then his tragic death. He was definitely an influence on all who came after him. Thanks, Fil. I don't know why I just came across this. The upside to being isolated is that I can catch up on all of your videos.
Thanks for the back ground hun. I LOVE T-Rex and Marc Bolan was So sexy and talented, He reminds me of Jim Morrision. Same sort of charisma. This band has stood the test of time. I have lost count of the times I have heard their tracks used for movies. "Get It On " in particular. /the 60's and 70's saw an explosion of talent and different style emerging. We had Bon Scott, Suzi Quatro,, disco, it was ALL happening. I was so blessed to be young g during this time in Music History. Thank you for reacting to our music and thank you to the young ones who love it.
Thank you so mucht for the objective assessment ofMarc's magnificent musical abilities. These have long been denied by the rock world. But he was a fantastic guitarist and a brilliant songwriter. It Is such a pity that we can't hear any more songs from him. He would certainly have written many more hits. His last album 'Dandy in the Underworld' showed once again what a fantastic sound he could create.
Hello, from Arizona! Wonderful analysis, Fil! I really enjoyed listening, and then reading the comments thread. I've become fascinated with Marc Bolan, the history of his music, and of T. Rex. I've recently been able to acquire some original pressings of a few of their albums. Vinyl sounds SO much better. Fil, through your video, I've learned a few new things about Marc.This performance was over the top, as for staging, and for being improperly mixed, but I think the main goal was to really impress the American audience, watching the sbow, that night, and I read that the performance time slot, was exceeded by a couple minutes, thus a band slated to perform after them, weren't able to do their song. All in all, listening to T. Rex albums, gives each of us, an AMAZING look, into the past. Thanks for ALL of your awesome videos!
That back up singe sounds like she studied with Yoko.
Yoko came out with a new album called War Zone. I listened to that track she's as horrible as ever!!
Yes she was great.
Like the Yoko Ono inflatable doll, step on it and she sings...
@@jaspernewcomb5656
Thanks ... made me chuckle 👍
Gloria's singing is as bad as her driving .
Fil, thank you for your excellent review and analysis of this performance by Marc and T.Rex . You add another dimension of appreciation to this song and the man , Marc Bolan. Keep up the good work.
Saw T. rex at Fillmore East 71’. Great band. He had that place in the palm of his hand. And that was a tough crowd. All the record company suits were there. He blew everyone away.
I love your really informative commentary! Thanks so much!!
Great high energy song 🌸Lots of fun listening to it👌🏼 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Great analysis again Fil, Marc was my first real introduction to rock, The Perfumed Grden of Gulliver Smith" was a great Johns Children track. I Loved Lofty Skies from Marc - hey - they come along now and again, the UNIQUE ! THANKS FIL - YOUR A GENIUS !!!
I adore Marc. He is such an inspiration to me, and he was talented beyond what people usually notice. Great video, mate. I have subscribed 👍
Ive always loved this video and the back up singers in particular. They came to belt it out!!! One shot one kill
T.Rex was epitome of Glam. Everyone else, even Bowie, didn't get it right like Marc Bolan. T.Rex did a tour opening for Uriah Heep and it was one of the biggest at the time, even out selling Led Zeppelin. Live T.Rex was one of the most energetic bands around. 'The Slider' is T.Rex's best album and everyone should give it a listen.
Hey no one out sells Led Zeppelin!
I personally prefer Electric Warrior over The Slider.
@@brayancruz5866 I've got EW ...But I'll give The Slider a go.
(Have you done "Acoustic Warrior"..?. worth a listen if only for the spoken words of Marc Bolanand his views of the times....)
@@brayancruz5866 'Electric Warrior' is a great album also, if only for 'Mambo Sun', but I like the way 'The Slider' has a little darkness to it and has a dirtier sound, even with 'Metal Guru'. But isn't that the joy of music? That we can all like and dislike things on a personal level without being wrong?
BTW If you haven't heard it yet, give 'Tanx' a listen...
@@patagualianmostly7437 I know naught of this 'Acoustic Warrior' you speak of... I am intrigued...
Marc is my second favorite guitarist after my cousin Chuck Berry who I grew up with in St.Louis. Chuck Berry's mother Mrs.Martha Banks Berry was my babysitter❤
Marc was a one off. His songs, voice, lyrics, guitar playing and whole demeanour was so unique, idiosyncratic and charismatic. He was special and other-worldly. Childlike and lovable. I was 11 in 1971 and absolutely loved Ride a White Swan so I went to my local record shop in Finchley to buy it but they were sold out and just had the album called "T.Rex" So I bought that and rushed home to play it. I was blown away. I'd never heard anything like it in my life. (btw I knew Peter Sanders who took that iconic photo on the T. Rex album. He later became a Muslim along with his friend Martin Thomson - now Ahmad Thomson.) I went on to buy every single and every album Marc ever made (including the wonderful Tyrannosaurus Rex albums) right up to his death. I wanted to see him live and begged my dad to buy me tickets. Unfortunately my brother wanted to see Slade and he begged dad too. My dad eventually bought the Slade tickets and we all went to watch them at Earl's Court, to my utter disappointment, (although they were good, but they weren't Marc!! lol) I did eventually see Marc during the Dandy in the Underworld tour (supported by the Damned) in Manchester where I was studying at the time - I think it was the Electric Circus or some name like that, I forget. He was wonderful. Little did I know he would tragically die not long after that.
Had NO idea that Marc Bolan and Helen Shapiro were in a band in their extreme youth. Helen's voice was wonderful and wonder if any of that collab survive? Marc Bolan's stuff got me through my junior and senior years in high school. Fil, you have remarkable anecdotes of Bolan's early life. Much appreciated.
Love this! I feel like I'm 15 years old again and in Junior High school. Glam rock ruled. I loved T-Rex, Bowie, and Mott The Hoople so much. And my dad hating it made me love it even more... 🤘
Awesome! Saw this on TV way back when. One of my favorite performances.
Who needs t.v. when I got T Rex :)
@@pantslessgrandpamusic Thank you for you're positive input . It's always a pleasure to converse with nice people who enjoy good R&R ;)
Pastime*, dumbass.
@@pantslessgrandpamusic He was bisexual, which isn't a crime.
Dspeir, back in the day we used to say, fuck tv listen to trex
@@pantslessgrandpamusic You posted this a week ago?
Bowie died....January 2016.
Still, I guess the news is kinda slow out there in the swamp, huh?
Rather like your brain.
Nice to hear someone that reels off so much correct information about Marc, as time and time again, I read and hear so much crap and false info - so well done. Cheers!
Hell Fil, you're almost killing me! You rock bud!
Super great background info . You are getting better on every new video. Keep it up. This is a song you should do and go crazy:)
YES, GET IT ON, MAN WERE WE EVER LUCKY BACK THEN, A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS ARRAY OF PHENOMENAL MUSICIANS. THANKS AGAIN FIL
Great review. I love the cello like tone he got from that Les Paul.
Fantastic song, but that backup singer projected louder than the lead singer. Great analysis, Fil.
On the studio version they are Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman aka Flo & Eddie aka Phlorescent Leech & Eddie. The backing vocals are quite distinctive on studio version as well but not like this.
I was going to make the same comment. The backups should not be trying to take over the vocals.
@@shegocrazy Agreed, but it's doubtful they could hear the blend properly themselves. When there's bad sound, it affects everyone's performance.
@@shegocrazy just mixed badly
Marc Hartley
and others....
1 week ago
@shegocrazy just mixed badly....Says it all.
I just recently discovered your channel and I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do. So far I love your incredibly in depth analysis. I thought I would chime in on this one. I wasn't familiar with T Rex until I saw them open for Three Dog Night on Aug 17, 1973, 46 years to the day of your post. It's highly likely I saw this very same lineup perform. Making the show memorial was Bolan destroying his guitar and blowing up an amp to cap off the performance.
Marc seemed like an enigma and we never got to know him properly through his music. Had he lived longer, he would have progressed past the glam stage and diversified.
Marc announced that glam was dead as early as 1974. I guess as he innovated the scene, he’ll always be remembered for it.
Thanks for doing Marc and Company, Wings! Great!!!!!!
OMG I love Marc Bolan! Wow, lot of great info, Fil. Thanks
I loved Electric Warrior & T Rex albums in, early 70's.
I've got a fever and the only cure is more tambourine.
ORagnar more cowbell would fix this🐮
RIGHT? Lol! When I'm home alone dancing, I'm one of those cool black girl back up singers .( In real life, 55 yr old white woman w/bad knees.)😉
@@catherinelynnfraser2001 AGREED! Sans the Tambourines...
Catherine Fraser very funny Will Ferrell would make it complete
beat me to it. :)
Great video, thanks for the background history of Marc Bolan and T-Rex, very interesting. Keep up the good work 👍
If you don't own his Electric Warrior album (preferably on vinyl), then your music collection is seriously incomplete!
Slider is my all time fav then elec warrior
EW and The Slider is a must in any collection!
thank goodness you can't hear her screeching banshee impression on the LP.
Agreed...but not on vinyl, only on CD...but I'll survive I guess.
(Maybe in the loft...it's there on cassette...Does that count?
I'm not going up there though....there's them Spiders... from Mars.)
Have 2 originals, 1st one is so smooth the arm just goes straight over it.
Wow, you’re a wealth of information. I really enjoy the history of the artists you bring on and the passion you have doing what you do.
I learned a lot about T Rex ...about their beginnings, thanks Fil.
Thank you very much, what you said was pretty new to me though I belong to Marc’s generation . You are a quiet a “teacher “ and a likable one on top.
Love Marc . In the 80s people used to call me ' the girl who looks like Marc Bolan. I love him because of his free , wild spirit and vision . I mean , geez , those times . Amazing stuff came out of them . I am so grateful for it . So nourished by it . Turned on by it . Musically excited and informed by it . Whacko .shmacko. 60s 70s . It's like the age of enlightenment, or the romantic poets. Keats , Byron , Shelley, Wordsworth. Times when a creative movement just bit , and bit deep . The big stone hurled into the lake that made forever ripples.Ebbing out over decades. 🦕
Great early glam rock!! He influenced so many for so long!!! Great performance! Fantastic energy!! You gotta do a V.A. On the MC5 check out theTardar Field show Detroit 1970!!!
Agree with you about that MC5 gig. That show is full on rock n roll. Great shout.
Jazz Cat +1. Concur. B&W footage.of MC5. Gotta be done.
Paul Stanley watching this in 1973:
I got a star on my face and a guitar at my waste,
I'm gonna do every move Marc Bolan makes for over the next five decades.
You’ve just gotta love Marc ! ♥️
I loved T Rex as a teenager - so many great songs! Loved Glam Rock which also included The Sweet, Slade and one of the many incarnations of my all-time favourite band... QUEEN! It's amazing how young artists were when they started back in the day.
Loved T. Rex. The Slider is definitely up there on my all time favorite albums.
I certainly agree about Gloria, she drowned out Mark and the band with her overzealous vocal and tambourine. Huge Marc Bolan fan. Love his influence from Eddie Cochrane in the way he leans back with the guitar from the mic and moves his feet around. I'd like to see a commentary on Summertime Blues.
Gloria was just singing her part, it's really up to the sound engineer to get the mixs right. In a live situation (such as this)
I would actually not bring her down in the mix I'd take Marc's vox and guitar up!
Marc's use of the short neck Les Paul Gibson gave a particular tone for his writing, you could not imagine Marc with a Telecaster or a Strat or a Grech !
T-Rex did not hit it big in the USA unfortunately, but it didn’t stop me one bit. Whether Marc was the forerunner to glam or not, he was so talented.
Midnight Special with his girlfriend Gloria Jones, mother of Roland Bolan. This is the worst performance of this song. Look elsewhere for a better performance. He just never really made it here in America.
I totally agree!
They used to play "Get it On" quite a bit; the DJs probably liked the line about the girl being dirty. Not so much songs with gentlemanly lyrics like "I don't mean to be bold but may I hold your hand?". Not in dirty America.
@@uterushaver8309 hot love isn't an innocent song lol!
Thanks Fil. I grew up on Bolan and Electric Warrior is still one of my favourite albums.
I always felt that the days when it was just Marc, Micky Finn, Steve Currie and Bill Legend the band was at its best. Marc was just getting his sea legs in to performing to this caliber and he always had the determination that he was going to be a star. Well he made it !!
Mix is horrific! Whomever was running the mixing board should be canned!
Absolutely!!!
@@bekind6763 Neither were running the mixing board.
The production was the complaint not the content.
Yeah this was a very rare off day for the Midnight Special, normally the sound was excellent.
@@wingsofpegasus Sounds as though Don Kirchner hired his teenage nephew to act as the sound engineer.
The sound mix as stated is terrible and were there any monitors working?
It was good to see that Marc added a re-worked The Wizard track to the 1970 album called T Rex. Lots of other great tracks there too.
Thanks for reviewing T Rex! Marc was an underrated guitar player. His playing on the Slider is fantastic and he even worked as a session guitarist in California for a bit. Taken from us too soon!
Hi, FIL, Mark Bolan performance reminds me of Prince,. Mark could really play his guitar, and he hard great showmanship. The Band members played extremely well, even though the backup singer Grace, was over the top, they all played so well, you could ignore any adlib, and still enjoy the Music, live performances. May he Rest in Paradise.❤👑
Thanks that was Terrific ! 👍👍
To quote David Letterman.
..great job on the tambourine..thanks Fil
I’m not an expert on guitar or any other technical aspect of this particular song, I just like listening to a variety of music and I really enjoyed this video. In fact I liked it more so than the studio track, which whilst having a great groove, sounded to me somewhat perfunctory and one dimensional.
To my mind his performance was dynamic, exciting, catchy and showed off Marc’s incredible guitar work, vocal qualities and of course his quintessential glam-rock stage presence.
I get what people say on here about the ‘tambourine overload’, but to my mind what let the performance down far more was the exaggerated, ear-drum shattering screeching and screaming of the backing singers when stretching out the last note of every chorus.
Presumably Marc told them to sing like that but I just think that it was totally unnecessary.
I was 13 at the time that this song came out, and I remember how later-on, when the ‘Glam-Rock’ period was in full swing, that people said it was all about optics and performance rather than musical quality. However, the incredibly talented Marc Bolan proved that Glam-rockers could sing and play as well as anyone.
The first original rock star, IMHO. He taught everyone how to be a stage presence. Paul Stanley stole hugely from him.
Great information man...I bought the 45 of this song when it first came out and I still have it!
Yes! Love Mark Bolan. Nice to see him even tho the mix was ____
What abt ny dolls?
Thanks for this. 👏👏👏
It was watching Steve Curry on TOTP's that turned me onto the bass!
Fun clip, outta control. I'm thinking you should dig into the Sweet now that you are in the glam neighborhood. Ballroom Blitz, Little Willy, Love is Like Oxygen. Always a pleasure. God bless
Thomas McIntosh Agreed!! Love The Sweet....great songs!"
No you don’t! ....
This dude can’t feel so pleasant all the time. His resting facial expression seems to be that smile.
😂
The girlfriend you're talking about here is also the girl who was driving the Mini that killed him. But the accident was totally unforeseeable. I made the exact same mistake myself just a couple of years later. The road which originally started out as a horse-drawn cart track, was the perfect short-cut across Barnes Common. Sometime in the early 19th century they added a railway bridge and paved the road. Although it was still about the width of the cart track with just enough room for two cars to pass.
The thing was, the railway bridge was very steep and as you were driving up it, you couldn't see the road ahead. It was a blind crest. What you didn't know was that at the brow of the bridge, the road suddenly veered to the right, which was totally unforeseen as you approached the brow. As the climb up the bridge was so steep, it encouraged you to step on the gas, so by the time you reached the top to begin your decent, the road had veered off to the right but you were still steering straight ahead. Mini's had a habit of taking off at the crest and were airborne with all four wheels off the ground. So you had no steering or brakes, because you were airborne. I was lucky, the Mini I was driving landed before it veered off the road so I was able to steer it back onto the road. Gloria Jones wasn't as fortunate. She was obviously going a little faster than I was, and when her Mini took off at the brow, it carried straight on into a tree, killing Marc in the process.
Over the years the tree was hit so many times it did eventually die of its wounds. Also about 10 years ago, the bridge was removed altogether and replaced with one, which although looks identical, is much safer as the road on the other side is now straight-on where it should be. There is still a shrine to Marc by the bridge and every year, even now is visited by hundreds of fans.
Good observation Chris! Also take into the fact that the crash happened when it was still dark, around 5 am. I personally think Gloria and Marc were each a bit under the influence, but most any one could have been victim to the same obstructions Gloria had that fateful night.
Thank you for explaining how the accident may have happened, from your experience.
I can confirm that thing Minis did, taking off on hump-back bridges, because when we were kids we would beg my father to do it, and he would oblige, when it was safe to do so, speeding up on the way up the hill to get the airborne/ leave your stomach behind effect over the crest.
@@alanna8983 Like you said 5am booze what else to say ? personally i think we should stop blaming the road,i'm one of marc's biggest fans,just drink driving then who cared ,just saying
FYI About the Mini cooper:
The Mini Cooper that Marc died in belonged to the Pink Floyd Management Company (Steve O'Rourke) and the Mini's that were owned by Steve, David and Nick being well known for being "Beefed up" and a lot faster than a normal Mini.
Careless driving
Yes . No one is allowed to talk about Gary Glitter anymore . But , if we're talking 70's and glam ??? I was there . A kid in the Midlands. Glue and coloured glitter on me face . Glam meant Gary Glitter. The Sweet . You can't fricking air brush him out !!!!!!!!!!!! The sound of Gary Glitter was the effing the backdrop of my childhood and early puberty .
He hasn't been requested! His breakthrough also came a few years after Bolan's by 2/3 years ☺
Love this song...not sure I like the girl singers though🤔thanks for background info❤great performance
Agree. Ixnay on the girlsay.
It’s still true to the vibe of the original studio recording. I agree the backing singers have got a bad case of the Whitney Houston’s/Mariah Careys where you show off your entire vocal range and power in 5 seconds and hit your top end.
Maybe also down to too much cocaine.
Well, everybody has said it all about the backup singers. It is a great performance, but they sound terrible. Fil is so learned, he picked up that one of the tambourines was miked too high.
I don't imagine that they picked up too many gigs after this performance. Fil is right, their is alot going on in this performance.
Yeah, its a little rough.
I am a huge Bowie fan & he was the reason that I started listening to Mark. This video is great but I would definitely think it was perfect without that background singers. Too loud! Great analysis as always Fil.
Wow! One of my most favoritest songs, ever! From that opening riff to the lyrics: "You're built like a car, you've got that hub cap, diamond-star halo. You're built like a car, oh yeah!" & "You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl." Fantastic!
I wonder how much Peter Gabriel borrowed from Marc...Thanks for this!
Backup singers kill this song with their howling
Well one of them killed Marc as she was driving the mini
Great stuff Fil. Agree with all your comments... well done. Rock on mate!
Glam Rock's beginnings...I love another video of this song that has Elton John on keys without those screeching women. Lol Bang a Gong! (P.S. I had a big crush on Bill legend their drummer.)
Screeching women! Hahahaha! I agree
Well you gotta admit that Marc wanted to showcase Gloria as much as he could.
@@alanna8983 I think he actually just wanted to break America. Look at how many black singers are on midnight special he thought it was a good idea...and then she got pregnant, and June said thats enough rope boy.
Oh WOW Fil, so cool of you to spotlight Marc/T.Rex after my recent request. Tanx. That's Sister Pat Hall on 2nd backup vocals. Who was the studio rhythm guitarist hired here?
Good question! It would take some research!
Jack Green?